


Refraction

by dogmatix, norcumi



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Genre: GFY, Gen, Micah panics, Things go sideways, abuse mention/speculation, poor Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, quinlan is along for the ride, tholme is a sneaky devil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:18:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9644126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogmatix/pseuds/dogmatix, https://archiveofourown.org/users/norcumi/pseuds/norcumi
Summary: This is an AU of part 5 of Through a Mirror Darkly, wherein Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are Sith passing as Jedi.  When they encounter a problem they can't solve, a teenaged Obi-Wan reaches out to a Jedi for help, but things don't go to plan at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Weapons Master](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9503192) by [dogmatix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogmatix/pseuds/dogmatix), [norcumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/norcumi/pseuds/norcumi). 



> The Story So Far:
> 
> Dooku Fell to the Dark side much earlier than he's assumed to have in canon. Qui-Gon was raised as a Sith, but remains stubbornly loyal to the Jedi. Obi-Wan, even knowing the truth, still chooses to ask Qui-Gon to be his Master rather than end up in the AgriCorps. Dooku has decided to take another Apprentice, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan aren't happy about this, but can't figure out any way to stop him that wouldn't land both of them behind bars. In desperation, Obi-Wan reaches out to Micah Giett, long-time friend of Qui-Gon's. Micah is, understandably, alarmed at Obi-Wan's insistence that he and Qui-Gon are both Sith, and tries to convince Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon is evil and Obi-Wan should repudiate his Master.

“He took me on as his student because _there was no-one else_ ,” Obi-Wan snarled at Micah Giett, tired and angry and heartsick. “ _You_ certainly didn’t fucking want me. So you don’t get to come along now and, and be a self-righteous _coward_.”

“Kid– ”

“No. No you _shut up_! I thought if you knew he’d saved my life, I thought if I could _explain_ to you– But I was wrong. Oh gods.” What had he done? This was all going so wrong. He started to back away again.

“Wait! What’s he going to do to you if you go back now? Stay here, let me– ”

“ _Shut up!_ ” Obi-Wan’s hands clenched in fists. “You don’t know _anything_. You damn _idiot_. He’s never once - _never_ \- raised a hand to me. How the hell.... I thought you were his _friend_ , dammit. Doesn’t that mean _anything_?

“Darkness is _corruptive._ If he’s Fallen, he’s not the same person anymore! The Qui-Gon I knew would never have done this to anyone, never mind his own student! ”

“You’re not even giving him a _chance_.”

“But there’s still a chance for _you_!”

Obi-Wan felt his heart sink. He’d never change Master Giett’s mind, he realized with cold clarity. Master Giett must have picked up on something, because he lunged for Obi-Wan again, trying to catch him by the wrist, but Obi-Wan let the Darkness surge through him, shoving _hard_ at the Jedi.  Master Giett went tumbling back in an awkward fall and Obi-Wan fled.

Barely waiting for the door to open, he made a mad dash for the apartment he shared with his Master, broadcasting alarm and panic down their Force-bond.  Fortunately, the hour was late, and the hallways were all but abandoned.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Obi-Wan saw Master Giett had given chase, though the Jedi wasn’t calling for help.  Putting on a burst of speed, Obi-Wan rounded another corner and found Qui-Gon standing outside their quarters, lightsaber in hand but unlit, looking around in alarm.

“He knows!” Obi-Wan called.

Qui-Gon's eyes fixed on Micah, who had rounded the corner behind Obi-Wan, and his expression went grim.

“Fetch the packs!” Qui-Gon instructed as he all but threw Obi-Wan into the apartment. The bug-out packs were tucked into the small closet by the door, and Obi-Wan had them in hand almost before Qui-Gon had finished shoving Master Giett back down the corridor with a stronger version of Obi-Wan’s earlier Force-shove.

Master Giett went to one knee, and that moment’s reprieve was all they needed. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sprinted down the corridor as if hell itself were at their heels.

* * *

 Micah cursed under his breath and pulled himself upright again, determined not to lose Qui-Gon and Kenobi.  He was a Jedi and a Weapons Master, but the other two are field Jedi, and that encouraged a different kind of stamina – even with Kenobi’s shorter legs handicapping Qui-Gon, Micah wouldn’t be able to catch them and he knew it. He didn’t want to bring the Jedi Guardians into this, but he couldn’t let his old friend escape with the deluded young padawan.

He’d left it too late, old affection distracting him from necessary action.

“No!” Micah called as Qui-Gon barreled past a returning Master Tholme and his padawan, Quinlan.

“Qui-Gon?” Tholme frowned.

“Stop him!” Micah yelled.

Not even pausing to look back, Qui-Gon punched the lockdown alarm, and a door slammed shut between the hanger and the temple.

Alarms started to blare, and Qui-Gon slipped into the shuttle Tholme had just came from, Obi-Wan hot on his heels.

Out of breath at the shut door, Micah fumbled for his lightsaber.  “We- we can't let them leave!”

“I don't think we can stop them, can we?” Quinlan Vos asked, wide-eyed and confused.

Micah ignited his lightsaber and drove it through the door, even though he knew it would be too late by the time they made it through.

Tholme’s eyes narrowed. “Micah, away from the door.”  He ignited his own lightsaber, looking at the small window set in the door.  Thinner than the door, the transparisteel window gave more easily under Tholme’s blade, and the Jedi Master shoved the window clear as he reached into his belt pouch, bringing out a small disc.

He threw it through the window, using the Force to speed it into the closing ramp of the shuttle.  Not a moment too soon - the shuttle's blasters shot out the controls for the force-field keeping the hanger secure.

The ramp snapped shut and the shuttle blasted out of the now-open hanger into Coruscant’s night, leaving Micah cursing and still trying to get his breath back.

“What was that?” he asked, “A bomb?”

“A spy droid,” Tholme said.

“What good'll that do us? We'll lose them once they're in hyper.”

Tholme pulled a small control screen/reader from his belt and expanded it.  “Maybe.”  He hurriedly typed in commands as he spoke.  “Except that's _my_ shuttle they just stole. If I can interface the spy droid with my com equipment before they hit hyper.....   There!”

“What in all the blazes is going on here?”

They turned to find a very irate Master Tiin glowering at them, lightsaber in hand and still wearing a simple sleeping shift.

* * *

  
A half-asleep and very grumpy Council session later, Micah Giett, Tholme, and Quinlan Vos were all seated around a terminal in Tholme’s quarters.

“I’m really hoping you have a damn good reason for giving the Council the run-around,” Tholme said as he fiddled with the controls.

Micah grimaced. “Qui-Gon has Fallen.”

Tholme’s hands froze on the controls, and he turned to give Micah a disbelieving look.

“I think. I only have his padawan’s word for it.”

“His padawan. You mean the boy that was doing everything in his power to stick to Qui-Gon’s side?”

“Yes! Look, I know how this sounds, that’s why I didn’t want to sic the whole Council on Qui-Gon’s tail if it was just some kind of weird prank or…I don’t know.  I’m not sure _what’s_ going on. Maybe there’s some kind of larger picture or…something.”

“Hmm. This should tell us at least a bit more,” Tholme said, returning to adjusting something on the terminal.

“Maybe it’s an undercover operation?” Quinlan piped up.

“We can hope,” Micah said.

“I’ve got the signal.”

All three of them clustered around the screen.

“This is the backlog of footage,” Tholme said as the events of earlier that night unfolded before them..

The spy droid had situated itself in the cockpit, so the viewing angle was high, but they could see both Qui-Gon and Kenobi.

Onscreen, Qui-Gon lay in co-ordinates and ignored the squawks of Coruscant STC.

Kenobi huddled in his chair, trying to make himself as small as possible.

Qui-Gon sat back, and it was clear they’d entered hyper.  Even the footage from the droid picked up a bit of grain, though it was still pretty good quality.

“I'm too angry to talk to you right now.  Leave me.”  The audio was tinny, but understandable.

“Yes, Master,” Kenobi choked out and fled from the cockpit.

Nothing much happened for the next while, and Tholme fast forwarded, then stopped.

“What happened?” Micah asked.

“We caught up to them,” Tholme answered.  “This is real-time now.”

Qui-Gon heaved a sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face, then got up and left the cockpit.

“We lost him!” Micah said unhappily.

“Hold on, I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve,” Tholme said, typing. After a moment’s lag, the viewpoint started to shift.  “I can instruct the droid to follow someone. Much more useful than the stationary type.”

Through the slightly grainy footage of the droid, they found Qui-Gon again.  The man stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at Obi-Wan huddled at the base of a bunk in the small sleeping quarters.

Qui-Gon stood silent for another moments, then said, voice dark with anger, "I trust that next time I tell you _not to say something_ , you will _actually listen to me_?"

Obi-Wan nodded furiously.  “Ye- yes Master. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm-  I'm, such an _idiot_.” He stopped talking and scrunched down again.

“I don't set the rules for secrecy arbitrarily,” Qui-Gon said, voice acerbic.

“I know, I know!  I-  Force, how could I be so _stupid_?” He slammed his fist into the floor beside him, anger seeking an outlet.

Some of the tension went out of Qui-Gon’s shoulders , and he sighed.  "Well, the consequences of your attempt are certainly punishment enough."

Obi-Wan huddled further into himself.

Qui-Gon shook his head.  “Come on, up. You're going to catch a cold down there on the metal.”

“I deserve it! I-  Dammit, I thought I could _explain_ , I- Master Giett kept going _on_ and _on_ about how he wanted to 'help' and-  _Damnit_.”

“Up,” Qui-Gon said, compassion in his voice as he held out a hand.

Obi sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, then took Qui-Gon's hand.  Qui pulled Obi-Wan up, then sat down on the bed and had Obi-Wan sit next to him.

Tholme fiddled with the controls of the to pick up their quieter voices.

“ -u have gambled and won, before. Now, you have gambled and lost.  We're both still alive and free, so things could certainly be worse.”

“But we can never go home,” Obi-Wan said, shoulders slumping.  “I- we're not part of the Jedi Order anymore. And it's all my fault.”

“Well, they probably won't get around to formally throwing us out for a while yet,” Qui-Gon replied, a trace of amusement in his voice.

Obi-Wan refused to be sidetracked.  “Why did Master Giett say he'd help us if he wasn't going to? Why did he lie?”

“Obi-Wan, no,” Qui-Gon said, voice sad but urgent.  “You can't blame Micah for that.  He never considered that we might be Sith.”

“Sith?!” Vos yelped.  Tholme’s eyes  went wide and his jaw actually dropped.  He looked to Micah for confirmation, but the Weapons Master refused to look up, focused instead on the screen, where Qui-Gon was still talking.

“Even in his worst imaginings, I suspect the furthest he ever got was 'Fallen,'” Qui-Gon finished.

“But- but he _said_ -“

“Give me a run-down of your conversation with him.”

The watchers all sat silent and intent as Obi-Wan recounted the conversation, and Micah had to admit that the kid wasn’t veering away from the truth, giving a pretty word-perfect blow-by-blow recounting.

When Obi-Wan fell silent, Qui-Gon nodded.  “Micah was worried about you.”

“He has an odd way of showing it!” Obi-Wan scowled.

“Obi-Wan. Being angry at Micah doesn't help anyone. And yes, worried about you.  He saw you being led down a Dark path, an evil path, and tried to help you.”

“But we're not evil!” Obi-Wan protested, obviously frustrated.

“No, but we are Dark. And the Jedi do not tolerate Sith. Micah's actions are what we can expect from any Jedi. They don't know any better - that doesn't make them our enemies.”

Micah swallowed hard, and Tholme was glad they had the recording because otherwise he might not have believed any of this.

“But he's your _friend_ ,” Obi-Wan said plaintively.

“Yes. And if I thought for a second that he'd tolerate me being Dark, don't you think I would have told him, or Tahl, or Plo, about me years ago?”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said in a small voice.

Qui-Gon paused for a moment, then admitted, “I suppose that's not entirely true. I've always hoped that...that they might accept me.  Perhaps you're simply braver and more optimistic than I ever was.”

Obi-wan shook his head fiercely.  “No, you were right.  He- when he realized I was serious about everything, he stopped listening completely.”

Qui-Gon nodded.  “He thought I was hurting you. And I can't say he was wrong.”

“He _was_ wrong. You're _not_ hurting me,” Obi-Wan replied, conviction ringing in his voice.

“I'm teaching you to be a Sith, “Qui-Gon said, voice neutral.

“I _chose_ that.”

“Be that as it may, the Jedi are still correct that you are a minor, and the blame for the situation falls on me, not you.”

Obi-Wan scowled.  “I was old enough to decide to be a Jedi, how am I not old enough to decide to be a Sith? If there's only one choice, then it's no choice at all, right?”

Qui-Gon was clearly taken aback, but a small smile quirked one side of his mouth.  “Well, you certainly have a good future as a diplomat.”  Smile falling away, he added, “but you didn't have a lot of options when you made that choice, if you'll remember.”

“I still _chose_ to be your Apprentice, to be a Sith. I mean, I didn't want to go to the AgriCorps, no, but I wouldn't have chosen to go with just anyone.” Stubborn to the core, Obi-Wan squared his shoulders. “And I wouldn't change it now.  I'm _your_ Apprentice.”

Qui-Gon’s expression softened into a smile, and he reached up to scruffle Obi-Wan’s hair a bit, which got a noise of affronted pride from Obi-Wan, but the boy didn’t try to move out from under his Master’s hand.

There was a moment of silence, then Obi spoke up again, more subdued this time.  "I _would_ change telling Master Giett though. We can't ever go home again, and.... Force.  Siri.  We- we can't help her either."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes, a pinched look on his face.  “It's possible that with us fled, Dooku will lose interest.  His interest in Siri was at least partly to flout my ultimatum.”

Confusion filled the air around the three Jedi watching through the spy droid’s feed.

“Dooku?” Tholme said, frowning.

Obi-Wan shook his head.  “But that was what was _stopping_ him, right?  I mean, if you're not an obstacle anymore, then _nobody_ knows what he is, and he can take as many Apprentices as he likes.”

“Only one at a time.” Qui-Gon said, trying for humour and failing.

“You know what I mean.” Obi-Wan said, and Qui-Gon had no answer to that.

On the terminal screen, Qui-Gon comforted his apprentice. “We'll figure something out.”

“Fucking- “ Micah glared at Tholme. “Are _you_ a Sith too?”

Tholme raised an eyebrow.  “ _No_.”

“Of course not!” Vos chimed in, looking outraged. “Why would you even ask?”

“Because suddenly everyone seems to be!” Micah almost yelled.

“Are _you_?” Vos snarked.

“ _No_ , dammit,” Micah said with a thunderous scowl.

“All right, everyone calm down,” Tholme said. “We need to take this to the Council.”

“Do we?” Micah said, looking like he had a headache developing.

“What? Tholme asked, not sure he’d heard right.

“Have we seen or heard anything abusive from Qui-Gon towards his padawan?”

“’Apprentice.’ The word you’re looking for is ‘Apprentice.’ And abuse takes many forms, including knowingly luring an underage child to the Dark side. That’s emotional and psychological abuse at the minimum.” Tholme’s eyes narrowed. “But you know that. So what’s really going on?”

“Oh come on, you heard that conversation as well as I did.  Something is _weird_ , here.”

“Yes, the fact that a Jedi Master has Fallen and has probably already condemned his student- ”

“No!  The kid came to me for help, but he seems really set on this whole being Sith thing. _But_ he doesn’t seem to see any conflict between being a Sith and asking a Jedi for help.”

“He hasn’t been corrupted that far yet.”

“Yeah that’s what I thought too, but you heard Qui-Gon – he’s been down this rabbit-hole for _years_.  Shouldn’t there be some kind of sign by now? Shouldn’t he be cackling his mad way to galactic power? Instead he uproots at a moment’s notice to protect his student.”  Micah shook his head. “I would never have thought _anyone_ in the Order could be a Sith, but apparently there’s three of them.  I would never have thought a Sith would reach out to a Jedi for help, but Kenobi did.  And I never, ever thought that I’d see a Sith comfort their student for a fuckup of this magnitude.  So either everything we know about the Sith is at best incomplete, and at worst a lie, or there’s something weird going on. Either way, we’re in the perfect position to find out more about all this before we make the call to start a manhunt that could possibly leave some good people very dead.”  He gave Tholme a challenging stare.  “We can always tell the Council later, but once we tell them, we can never take it back. Aren’t you the least bit curious?

Tholme pressed his lips together, torn between duty and curiosity.  Damn Giett for gambling that his curiosity was his weak point, because it absolutely was. He huffed in annoyance.  “I’m going to regret this, I know I am.”


End file.
